Mumbai, Oct 1 (NationPress) Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday urged the Maharashtra government to promptly offer Rs 50,000 per hectare as compensation to farmers. He also called for a specialized scheme akin to the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana to assist in rebuilding houses damaged by severe rains and floods in Marathwada and other regions of the state. “Is the BJP-led government waiting for all farmers to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party before waiving these loans?” he questioned.

Thackeray criticized the Maharashtra government for failing to announce a crop loan waiver despite ongoing demands from farmers and opposition parties.

“If the government is willing to back sugar tycoons with guarantees worth hundreds of crores upon their joining the BJP, it implies that if they fail to repay their loans, the burden falls on the general public,” he asserted.

“Maharashtra is grappling with a crisis due to heavy rains. I have humbly urged the government to unite and address this crisis without politicizing it. However, the current administration seems uninterested. The Chief Minister is preoccupied with publicity, one Deputy Chief Minister is focused on distributing aid packages featuring his own photos, while another Deputy Chief Minister remains conspicuously absent. When issues arise, this other Deputy Chief Minister is nowhere to be found, leaving the people stranded,” Thackeray claimed, referring to CM Devendra Fadnavis and his two deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

He further expressed concern over banks issuing notices to farmers for debt recovery, stating that this would severely impact growers.

“Farmers struggle to secure loans without offering collateral. The government does not guarantee their loans. Today, the situation is dire, with crops and lands destroyed, leaving farmers overwhelmed by debt. Reports of farmer suicides emerge daily,” Uddhav Thackeray lamented.

Thackeray also recounted a letter from Devendra Fadnavis, then Leader of the Opposition, dated October 16, 2020, during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's term, which called for the declaration of a wet drought. He urged the MahaYuti government to now declare a wet drought.

“Label it a wet drought or a drought of your imagination, the reality is farmers are in distress. They must receive immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare. A new rural scheme modeled after PMAY should be announced promptly,” Uddhav Thackeray demanded.

“Instead of using the term 'wet drought,' I (as Chief Minister) referred to it as a 'disaster-hit' scenario. How can you deny the crisis just because the term 'wet drought' isn’t in the government manual? Are we to change our vocabulary based on people's statuses? Let’s not engage in trivial semantics. The central team has yet to visit the state. All inspections and assessments are being conducted with indifference,” Uddhav Thackeray pointed out.

Thackeray insisted that the government should not engage in superficial efforts during this crisis. “Schools in flood-affected regions should be reopened immediately to combat the spread of diseases. While the Prime Minister provides free food grains to 80 crore citizens, the very individuals responsible for producing this food are suffering immensely. Numerous farmlands and roads have been obliterated; the government must act swiftly. They are failing in their responsibilities,” Uddhav Thackeray asserted.

Additionally, Thackeray criticized the Maharashtra government for its choice to reduce payments by Rs 5 per tonne for sugarcane farmers and Rs 10 per tonne for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, totaling Rs 15 per tonne.

“While you have granted amnesty to sugar tycoons, we are simply requesting a crop loan waiver for struggling farmers. The time has come for farmers to mortgage their lands and even their 'mangalsutras.' Currently, they are burdened by debts due to crop losses and are further encumbered by the Rs 15 per tonne deduction,” he concluded.